(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of storing and accessing not only data and programs over the Internet, but also storing and accessing the various component parts of a computer over the Internet.
(2) Description of Related Art (Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98)
The desire for the advancement of the technology has been a steady progression pushing the average computer beyond the comprehensible range of most users. Also, there is an ever increasing number of malicious attacks designed to interfere with the average consumer's usage of a computer. Consumers are all too often forced to buy a new computer because the old computer is so infected with malicious code that it is no longer usable.
Cloud computing typically involves using remote computing resources on a pay-per-use basis for a singular purpose, which is to leverage the data center resources for one-time application resources, where the remote computing resources may be used alone or in conjunction with the internal computing resources of a “data center.” For example, the processing resources and storage resources of cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Go Grid, Rackspace Cloud Servers, can be requested and used on-demand in a scalable fashion. As such, cloud computing can be used for applications with varying or unpredictable demand, as seen in year-end financials or tax-return preparation. Additionally, computationally-intensive processing can be performed using cloud computing resources. Cloud computing as described above does not support average users, who have limited understanding of available computer options and need help supporting their computer purchase(s).
A large portion of the success of information technology (IT) can be attributed to a single computing paradigm: client-server computing. In client-server computing, a client is typically a low-cost computing device that enables users to perform computing tasks on a remote server. The server, on the other hand, is typically a costly computer that is capable of performing complex computational tasks. The advantage obtained by coupling the powerful computing ability of a server with the cost savings of multiple low-cost clients is the main reason behind the success of client-server computing.
Unfortunately, over time, the clients in most client-server architectures were replaced by costly workstations. While these workstations interacted with back-end applications, such as large, server-resident databases, they were not true “clients” at all. Rather, they were clients that also had to perform a great deal of local computing.
This trend in client-server computing diminished the main advantage of the client-server paradigm by requiring clients to have expensive hardware and software components.
Recently, the concept of an ultra-thin-client was introduced, which has lately been gaining widespread popularity. For example, an ultra-thin-client can include a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and a built-in smart card reader. Ultra-thin-clients provide users with seamless access to all the applications and utilities they normally use on their workstations or PC's. One example of this technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,457,878, which is incorporated herein by this reference. Another example of this technology is called a “zero client device”, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,539,025, and in U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 20120317184, and 20120297382, all three of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
However, this technology is usually only possible within controlled and educated IT-run organizations where the zero client server can be configured and set up for the user inside the confines of the office. Even in these controlled situations the user is provided with the configuration that someone else has chosen to fulfil the user's requirements.
The consumer of today needs to be allowed to choose how much or how little computer resources they require, and, with that, also a safe and controlled access to applications and support as they require. One example of this methodology is disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20140012988 (“Kruempelmann”), which is incorporated herein by this reference. However, Kruempelmann relies on sophisticated users to send appropriate “resource requests” “that represent a list of one or more attributes of the required computing resources”. Kruempelmann states, “For instance, based the resource request and the resource request parameters, system attributes of three local databases of 70 GB capacity each and one processor of 50 MHz speed are calculated. Calculating system attributes may include determining memory element requirements, input-output requirements, central processing unit (CPU) power consumption, and the like for the associated resource request and resource request parameters.” Consumers often are not sophisticated enough to know the details of a computing system that they need or want. Purchase of a new computer should be due to the fact that the user has increased requirements. Consumers should have easy access to purchasing a new computer system, without the worry of having to know in advance their various options. They need an interactive “client device” that will ask them the pertinent questions needed to provide them with the computing power that they need. Consumers should have easy access to file backup and recovery without the worry of having to understand the complicated details.